


‘Fill’d Up With Mud’

by Crowgirl



Series: On the Strength of the Evidence [43]
Category: Grantchester (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 20:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12395406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowgirl/pseuds/Crowgirl
Summary: Minor accident aftermath.





	‘Fill’d Up With Mud’

The front door of the vicarage is propped open and Geordie follows the sound of Mrs Maguire’s voice.

‘--like a _proper_ vicar!’

A sigh. ‘Yes, please do tell me again about how to be a proper vicar.’

‘You should get rid of that ridiculous bicycle for one thing.’

‘Then how would I get around?’ 

‘Get yourself a car.’

‘I can’t afford one.’

A sharp sniff. ‘Complain to the bishop.’

‘Given the response I got when I told him Leonard's bedroom window was leaky, I’m not sure he’d be the most sympathetic ear. Can you please hand me my shirt?’

 _‘This_ is for the wash, Mr Chambers!’

‘Oh, for-- the _other_ one!’

By Sidney’s last words, Geordie has his shoulder propped comfortably against the jamb of the kitchen door, arms crossed over his chest, enjoying the scene being played out before him. Sidney is shirtless at the wide kitchen sink, trousers mud-spattered, hair a damp mess, a mud-streaked towel in one hand. Mrs M has what must be his discarded shirt and vest in her hands: a thoroughly draggled mess of cloth, with one sleeve and front thick with mud. 

Sidney looks past Mrs M and clears his throat when he sees Geordie. ‘Would _you_ be kind enough to hand me my shirt, Inspector?’

Geordie knows full well from the quirk of Sidney’s mouth that Sidney knows exactly what Geordie’s response would be if they were alone. Nevertheless, Geordie pushes himself off the door jamb and steps into the kitchen. ‘Where is it?’

Mrs M leans over before Geordie can move, ignoring him completely, and snatches the shirt off the back of the kitchen chair closest to him. She waves it in Sidney’s face like a flag. ‘This is your _last_ clean one until the laundry comes back.’

‘I’ll bear that in mind.’ 

She snorts, thrusts the shirt into his hands, then turns on her heel and vanishes into the scullery. The door bangs behind her and Sidney sighs. ‘Tea is going to be wonderful this afternoon. You might not want to stay, if that was what you had in mind.’

‘What happened to you?’ Geordie comes a step closer, watching Sidney shrug on and button his shirt. Vestless, his chest hair makes a slight shadow against the white of the cloth and Sidney follows his usual habit when he doesn’t have his clerical collar on and leaves the collar and top button undone. It would be completely foolhardy for Geordie to reach out and run his fingers over the soft skin revealed at the base of Sidney’s throat -- but he wants to anyway.

Sidney makes a face and sighs again. ‘Fell off my bike.’

‘You -- what?’ 

‘I was coming around the corner from the high street and my wheel got stuck in a rut.’ Sidney tumbles his hands one over the other in a vivid demonstration. ‘Mrs M seems to think I did it on purpose.’

‘Just to throw off her laundry schedule,’ Geordie agrees. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Oh, yes, fine. I landed _in_ the mud after all. And I’m sure Mr Williams hasn’t laughed like that in ages -- must’ve been good for his chest.’ Sidney fastens his last cuff button and looks up, running his hands absently through his hair in what Geordie assumes is an attempt to get it back into some kind of order; it doesn’t really work. ‘Was there something you wanted?’

‘Wondered if you wanted a game down the pub.’

Sidney glances at the closed scullery door. ‘Let me change my trousers.’ He looks at Geordie, smiles, and steps deliberately close to him on his way to the kitchen door. His voice is so low Geordie barely catches it. ‘Then I’m all yours.’

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [A Midsummer Night's Dream](http://www.bartleby.com/70/1821.html).
> 
> Thanks as always to the best of all betas, [elizajane](http://archiveofourown.org/users/elizajane) and [the Lady Kivrin.](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Kivrin)


End file.
